University of Warwick (12/19/13) Anna BlackabyResearchers at the University of Warwick and York University have developed a molecular communications system for sending messages and data in environments where electromagnetic waves cannot be used, such as underwater, in underground structures, or inside the body. The researchers created the capability of converting any generic message into binary signals, which in turn are programmed into evaporated alcohol molecules. The first demonstration involved transmitting the words "O Canada" across a distance of several meters for decoding by a receiver, using hardware built from off-the-shelf electronics at a cost of about $100. "We believe we have sent the world's first text message to be transmitted entirely with molecular communication, controlling concentration levels of the alcohol molecules, to encode the alphabets with single spray representing bit 1 and no spray representing the bit 0," says York University doctoral candidate Nariman Farsad. The University of Warwick's Weisi Guo notes that molecular signaling is commonplace in the natural world, and their method could be used for wireless oil rig and sewer monitoring, as well as nanoscale communication. Potential uses in this area include sensors embedded within organs or miniature robots that target drugs to cancerous cells. "Molecular communication signals are also biocompatible and require very little energy to generate and propagate," Guo points out.Full Article

Washington Post (12/18/13) Ashkan Soltani; Timothy B. LeeJohns Hopkins University researchers have provided the first public confirmation that it is possible to activate a laptop's camera without triggering the light indicating that the camera is turned on. The research proves that if a laptop has a built-in camera, it is possible that someone could access it to spy on the user at any time. The researchers studied computers that had a hardware interlock between the camera and the light to ensure that the camera could not turn on without alerting its owner. However, the researchers were able to bypass this security feature because modern laptops are actually several different computers in one package. The computers are designed to prevent software from activating the camera without turning on the light, but the researchers were able to reprogram the chip inside the camera, called a microcontroller, to defeat this feature. Attacks that exploit microcontrollers are becoming more common. "People are starting to think about what happens when you can reprogram each of those," says Twitter security expert Charlie Miller. He also says there is an easy way to thwart this surveillance, noting "the safest thing to do is to put a piece of tape on your camera.Full Article

BBC News (11/27/13)Sony has filed a patent application for a device called a SmartWig with hopes of becoming a major player in the wearable technology sector. The filing indicates the device could help blind people navigate roads and collect information such as the blood pressure, pulse, and temperature of the wearer, and gaming and virtual reality are other potential uses. Described as an intelligent tool and a fashion item at the same time, the SmartWig is designed to process data and communicate wirelessly with other external devices. Sony places the communication interface and sensors in the wig, which can be worn in addition to natural hair and keeps parts hidden from sight during use. "The system can detect these kinds of data naturally and transmit them to the server computer," Sony says. Sony also says the SmartWig offers significant advantages over other wearable computing devices with regard to user comfort and handling. During a presentation, for example, the wearer could simply raise her eyebrows to move to the next slide.Full Article